Baseball

Baseball Shuts Out Stonehill in Season Finale

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern New Hampshire University broke open what had been a pitchers' duel with six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to a 6-0 Northeast-10 baseball victory over Stonehill College Sunday at Penmen Field. The Penmen wrap up their season at 25-22 overall and 12-14 in the NE-10 after winning six of their final nine contests, while the Skyhawks, who will open the NE-10 Tournament Wednesday as the No. 6 seed, are 30-17 and 13-12 in the league.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Bobby Wronski (Arlington, Mass.) hit a solo home run to center field to give the Penmen a 1-0 lead. It marked the 12th home run of Wronski's career, moving him into sole possession of third place on SNHU's all-time home run list.

After pinch hitter Jon Minucci (Madison, Conn.) walked and Tyler Poisson (Rochester, N.H.) singled to the gap in left-center for his first collegiate hit, Juan Amador (Derry, N.H.) dropped a single into shallow left that scored Minucci from third. Both Poisson and Amador moved into scoring position on a missed catch by Stonehill catcher Billy Karalis.

Tim Rines (Merrimack, N.H.) made it 4-0 with a two-run double to center off Skyhawk reliever Brenden Shepard, marking the 167th career hit for Rines, moving him into second all-time at SNHU. The Penmen would load the bases as Jamie Wollerman (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.) singled through the right side and Albert Stanton (Sandwich, Mass.) walked.

Graduate student Chris O'Neil (Chelmsford, Mass.) would drive in the final two runs of the afternoon as his double to left-center plated pinch runner Vincent Troisi (Hackensack, N.J.) and Wollerman. The double capped O'Neil's season-ending hit streak at 16 games.

Matt Boulter (Wrentham, Mass.) had two hits for SNHU as all but one Penmen starter had at least one hit. Brad Monroe (Hampton Falls, N.H.) (pictured) went eight innings on the mound for Southern New Hampshire and allowed just four hits and struck out nine while walking two en route to upping his record to 6-3. He retired the first nine batters of the afternoon before Rich McHugh led off the fourth with an infield single. Ryan Walfield (Stratford, N.H.) worked a hitless ninth to seal the victory.

Lefhander Zach Soulier took the loss for Stonehill, allowing six hits and four runs in 7.1 innings while fanning four and walking two. All four of the Skyhawk hits on the afternoon were singles.

Southern New Hampshire set a single-season school record for victories in 2011 while finishing above .500 for the first time since 1997.